The Nations League clash will be played Sunday at a neutral Hungarian venue and without Irish fans, amid demands of pro-Palestinian protesters in Ireland for the match to be cancelled.
During a press conference in Debrecen, Hungary, FAI chief executive David Courell said the match had been approved by “a significant majority,” but he declined to break down the precise vote.
Beside him, a downcast Hallgrímsson said they were legally and professionally obligated to play Israel even though his squad was “almost to a breaking limit now.”
“Nobody is comfortable playing this game,” Hallgrímsson said, describing the situation as a Catch-22. “It’s two choices and both are tough and bad. It’s a situation where you can’t win.”
When asked to confirm whether other players would join Bazunu in boycotting the match, Hallgrímsson demurred. “We haven’t come to a conclusion on this, but the game is going ahead,” he said. “We are trying to limit the damage.”
He said the Irish players planned to avoid any pre-game ceremonies with Israeli players, including the traditional handshakes, and would wear black armbands during the match “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict.”